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Orient Express - East of Stuttgart

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Count Aleksander
Passenger Compartments
@Shiva the Cat @Traveler @MsBloom
​
Coincidences were not something Aleksander put much stock in over the years. He could have bought one mysterious bystander just coming over in such a situation. But two? Something was going on. He was absolutely and abundantly assured of it, all while he endeavored to keep the smile on his face. He had not even come close to figuring out Estella's own angles, let alone dealing with any others. And he had to worry about knives in his back, whether literal or metaphorical at the moment.

His smile at Estella was gentle, protective even. "I would be honored," he said. "Though you owe me nothing. I am merely acting as a gentleman would. You might accept an invitation as well to my family's holdings as well, I am certain we could arrange for a wonderful show there," he began, before....

He meant to let Estella get rest and also observe the situation. He centered his eyes on the British man who had come over. The man he had likewise seen speaking with the woman known as Jane. No, no such thing as coincidence at all. He looked over to the fellow, glancing at Estella.

"The Lady merely requires a touch of rest. No need to concern yourself, we are friends here and the situation is well in hand." He glanced at Estella, suddenly deciding on a course of action. "My friend, as an appreciation for your concern, might I interest you in a drink? There is a lovely cognac, top shelf I would be happy to share in discussion. I did not get your name?" He intended to find out something with him and this Jane...just what was going on here. He remembered the note in his shirt pocket otherwise...

Time to gauge the fellow before him. "Estella," he said, deciding to give her a cover. "Please get some rest. And dinner plans later, we had mentioned? I'm told the chef some a wonderful coq au vin aboard the train." At least it would deflect any queries while he kept a eye on the Englishman here.

"I am Aleksander, my friend. And yourself?"
 
Mr. Leonard Benjamin, Esq.
First Class Sleeping Coach
@Shiva the Cat @Vinaein​

'Ah,' Leo thought, 'I've interrupted a tΓͺte-Γ -tΓͺte.' His verdant eyes continued to take on the situation. The little nudge of the lady's toe to shelter her belongings, the protective way the slim fellow stood between them as if protecting the entertainer from Leo's brusque, intrusive appearance, and the way they both assumed he was friends with Jane.

"Oh, Ms Eyelesbarrow? I've only met her today," he confessed. "Or yesterday, I've quite lost track of time."

He turned his sleepy smile to the gentlemen when he was asked him name. Leaning further into the room, his left hand still on the door frame, he extended his right in greeting. "Pardon me," he said, "where are my manners? I'm Leo Benjamin. I'd be delighted to have a drink with you but as you can see," his right hand drifted from the front of his wide, flat chest, to the top of his trousers, "I'm not dressed for the lounge. Perhaps tomorro, if you're both still on board?"

He looked between the two of them, his gaze reveling that he might not think the couple were exactly friends yet, but they were on their way to being well-acquainted in that way that people on holiday were accustomed to being. Passionate, quick, and easily forgotten - that was the way of the world it seemed. Things were moving so fast, and people changing so easily, that soon it might be more common to see women in trousers and not dresses instead of the other way around!

Smiling and pushing himself from the doorway, Leo nodded to the lady and the gentleman in turn. "Forgive my interruption again," he said. "These cramped quarters make it difficult to stay out from underfoot." He looked at Miss Estrella once more, his eyes lingering a bit too long on her countenance. She did indeed have the loveliest of eyes, and though none would call her a spring chicken, she looked like she had a lot of living left to do. "I certainly hope that you indeed feel 'right as rain' on the morrow."

After lingering only as long as needed to hear their replies he continued down the corridor to the wash closet, wondering at the interesting guests aboard the Express. He'd only met four of them, and already he felt he had enough to fill a dime store novel.
 
Estella was almost calm enough to be amused at Aleks' reaction to this latest interruption. Was that jealousy she saw in his eyes? Or was it mere protectiveness? If the two men were to get in a fight the singer would have put her money on the Hungarian, but then again there was something in the way the Brit moved...well, perhaps it wouldn't be a big bet.

She was grateful though at Aleks' move to get the man out of her compartment. As long as the Count didn't forget about sending her telegram when they stopped in Strasbourg, the woman thought she could probably manage being holed up in her berth for a few hours. Now that her mind was clearing she needed to think of what to do next. She couldn't very well drag that damned case with her everywhere for the next three days. And before she knew it, the train would be in Germany, and she'd really have to watch herself.

In the meantime, she just needed to avoid Miss Jane Eyelesbarrow, as the British woman was apparently called. And possibly Mr. Leo...Benjamin... as well.

Benjamin.

The singer looked at Leo with a curious new expression on her face as she studied him closely. Eli had had a particular curly-haired chum from Hebrew school, a Yakov Benjamin, son of a local tailor. No resemblance between the scrawny kid from Brooklyn and the dark-haired gentleman before her of course, but the name still stuck out in the back of her mind as one that was common in the old neighborhood. Perhaps this Brit might not have been quite as untrustworthy as the others. If he was even British at all.

"Estella Devereaux," she volunteered suddenly, holding out a hand in greeting to Leo. "And please, think nothing of it. I'd never hold the actions of a Good Samaritan against them." Something sparked in the depths of her eyes, but Estella turned back to Aleks before it could linger too long.

"I do believe I may have caused you to miss the dinner service already, Your Excellency," Estella said apologetically, though figuring it might be efficient to hint at the Count's rank all the same. "Why don't you see if they're still serving, and I'll join you in the dining car in an hour or so? I'm really not at all hungry, and I'd hate for you to miss your supper."
 
Charles Walsh
Sleeping Compartment
@MsBloom
-----------------
"Yes, I apologize for that," Charles began after Jane finished speaking. "You are, of course, referring to the way I stormed out, I presume? If so, perhaps it could fit into the 'misinterpreted prostitute' cover you seem to be establishing for yourself?" He didn't wait for her to answer before offering her his lighter once more. "At any rate, I'm wondering if that film star is worth keeping an eye on. By the way, I wanted to ask the conductor about everyone's name and nationality, but he's apparently quite busy. Have you caught the names of the colorful bunch that we share the first-class section with?"

His eyes were clear and bright, and his smile crinkled their edges; he was clearly trying to be disarming and apologetic to his sister-in-arms, in actions as well as words. "Really, I apologize," he added. "It has been a difficult year. I had a lover, I was going to ask her to marry me but I had gotten a 'Dear John' telegram smack in the middle of King's Cross as I was preparing to board this very train! Can you imagine? Not even to my face! What on earth are we coming to, Jane?"
 
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Count Aleksander
Passenger Compartments
@Shiva the Cat @Traveler​

Aleksander had taken a moment to interrogate himself at his latest reaction now, maintaining the pleasant demeanor as Mr. Benjamin and Estella exchanged pleasantries. He could not quite be certain of Leo quite yet, only that the man was British...and seemed well dressed and elegant at the same time. Was he a danger? A threat?

Aleksander couldn't know, not yet. But he did have an opportunity. "Mr. Benjamin," he said pleasantly, "it would truly be my pleasure." He gestured graciously to him, waiting until the man had departed before his eyes turned back to Estella with her telegram still within his shirt pocket.

When they arrived at Strasbourg, he would be sure to post it...as soon as he was through making certain what had happened. Leo seemed an agreeable fellow, thought the Count before chuckling at Estella's next statement. "Think nothing of it." He added. "I will see you at the dining car in an hour then." He gave Estella a pleasant bow. "You require rest after all..."

And he also had a suspicion he had not quite seen the last of that Jane. He gave Estella another smile, looking at her lovely eyes. "I truly hope nothing causes you further distress, Lady Estella," he said. "I have not forgotten my word to post your telegram either." He bowed, every inch the gracious noble, taking her hand to kiss the back of it, before he left her to her rest. His own quarters were next door, but...

He walked to his cart next door, being sure to place his things down and to take a moment before he set off...far enough away to keep suspicion off. Near and clear enough to watch for anyone who might turn up suspiciously....near to the wash closet where he could appear as if he were merely washing his hands and face.
 
Mr. Leonard Benjamin, Esq.
First Class Sleeping Coach
@Shiva the Cat @Vinaein​

​
Gods above, the woman had something about her eyes that begged him to spend more time in their depths. Was it the frank way that she looked at him, as if she was considering whether to have him for dinner or to set him aside, or was it the cute bob that teased at her cheeks like she hadn't a care in the world what anyone thought? Whatever it was, he was captivated.

And as they said the ranks, she was way, way above his pay grade.

It wasn't just the lady who was alluring. The count had a set to his mouth and a dimple in his chin that almost distracted you from his eyes, but he, too, had a certain look to him. It was as if he saw more than he told, as if he had been a child who heard everyone's secrets. Or perhaps he was more than that. Maybe he was like Count Dracula, eternally alive and subsisting on the life blood of others.

The thought sent a thrill through him, and some of it was pleasurable.

The singer extended her hand and offered her name, and since he was something of a gentleman, Leo took her hand and smiled. "It's my pleasure," he said, shaking her dainty digits kindly, then stepped back lest her bodyguard think he was lingering too long. He did not blame Alexander. No…Leo envied him. A quick nod, and he was off. He found his way to the narrow water closest and rapped on its surface, then stepped inside. The thing had a strange accordion door that he was not accustomed to. After a few moments of awkwardness he managed to get it shut.

Doors – so far today they had been a source of vexing for him. Not necessarily the physical ones either, but the doors of opportunity. And when he had finished his task and washed his hands, he found leaving the compartment as difficult as it was to enter it. The last time had taken this train he was in the general carts. None of this fancy, folding door stuff. He tugged at the door most mercilessly until the strange little door popped off its rollers and Leo was left there holding a broken handle and looking at someone's back.

"Damn it," Leo muttered. He tried in vain to clip the handle back on the door. "I think I broke it," he said to the other man, thinking him a steward. "I…seem to be all thumbs."
 
Jane Marple; Walsh's sleeping compartment; @captain_bond

"Luckily it seems to have been accepted as the most possible explanation," Jane said and took a deep drag on the cigarette as it was lit.
"I corrected the gentleman making the assumption though but allowed him, and everyone else, to believe that you had been under the impression that I was ."
She looked around the compartment before sitting down on the small stool, resting her elbow on the fold up table.
"I have not, but yes, she certainly is. They all are I would dare say, for one reason or other but let us stay with our little songbird, for a moment."
She took a drag on the cigarette and then another, as if they had all the time in the world.
"She seems to get quite nervous around British accents," Jane said and explained the singer's reaction earlier in the corridor.
"Which had me thinking that there is something in that suitcase she is afraid anyone might find. It seems a bit big to contain something as simple as secret documents and it does not seem heavy enough to contain any encryption device or any such thing."
She paused for another drag on the cigarette and made a pensive face.
"If I had to guess I would say it is money, perhaps jewels, quite possibly from some kind of heist, so ..."
She looked up at her colleague with a smile.
"What news from Good Old England regarding thefts? Is Scotland Yard being taken by the nose again? They surely has been struggling since the retirement of Mr Holmes, whose adventures I am sure you too enjoyed reading about as a child."
She paused again momentarily and gazed out the window to let the information and ensuing questions sink in.
"There is however a Belgian fellow I met during the war who might have picked up on something. Perhaps I should send him a telegram from Strasbourg."
It was now as if she had stopped talking to Mr Walsh and was mostly talking to herself.
"Yes. He would know."
She put out the cigarette in the large crystal ashtray before standing up.
"Was there anything else. If not I'm having breakfast with Mr Benjamin in the morning to see what else I can find out. I am sure our odd couple will be there as well. I would greatly appreciate it if you limited yourself to a simple and polite greeting the next time we find ourselves face to face."
 
Count Aleksander
First Class Sleeping Coach
@Traveler @Shiva the Cat
​
As he walked off from Estella, the Count left her aside...unable to banish her from his mind. The cheerful enthusiasm was one thing, but the very look of her alone. Estella bore with her a radiance, a sparkle in her eyes that resembled the stars for which she was named. The way she smiled and how she had boldly talked to him...even the look of her, so unlike the demure women he was so used to of Eastern Europe. He smiled to himself, actress and singer...and she seemed to be in trouble. If only he knew what, though...he remembered he had the letter there, wondering if it might explain things...or he might wait until Strasbourg to post it for her...

And so many interesting people about, that was for sure. Not least of which was the fellow who had just come over...interesting, elegant and dapper man, he thought as he retreated, footfalls upon the lush carpeting of the compartment. He thought of Estella, sleeping peacefully with her briefcase...

And what might that contain? Well, wasn't THAT the mystery indeed....he splashed water on his face, taking a moment to sigh to himself, before he heard a snap. He glanced to see the door handle...broken. He tensed, was this an attempt on his life, a way to conceal him so he might be disposed of?

Except it was...one Leo Benjamin and he seemed to be harmlessly struggling with the door handle. "Best not to allow anyone to see you broke that. You know the saying," Aleksander chuckled as he walked over. "Allow me..." he smiled pleasantly. "Interesting to run into you again, Mr. Benjamin...I hope you are well?"
 
Charles Walsh, sleeping compartment, @MsBloom

"We may receive something when we get to Strasbourg about possible fugitives, and if not I should prepare a telegram to send off." When Jane commented on whether or not there was anything else, Walsh smiled. "Nothing comes to mind except my regret that you cannot stay." He gently laid a hand on hers. "I do hope we can get past that initial wrinkle. Truly, you are captivating me in a way few have. But I shan't count my chickens before they are hatched, as the Americans are fond of saying. Simple, polite greetings...although I may reserve the right to be a bit friendlier. Just because you put me in such a good mood." He removed his hand from hers, and sat back against the wall, clearly leaving the next move to Jane.
 
Name: Jane Marple
Location: Mr Walsh's sleeping compartment.


Jane looked at the man in front of her for a moment.
"I am sorry to hear about your lover and the way she treated you. It rather seems a bit cowardly to not inform you in person."
At the same time she couldn't help but think that there was more to the story, there usually was but for the time being that was his business. She did allow his hand to linger on her hand and gave him a smile.
"You are quite a handsome man Mr Walsh. I must admit as much," she said and let her eyes wander over his body.
"And I am sure it would be a pleasure indeed to spend the night in your company but for the moment I need to rest. I've had quite a busy day. We shall see how things turn out tomorrow. Good night."
With this Jane slid the door open and looked outside to see if the corridor was empty. It was not, both the East European gentleman and Leo were there but down at the far end near the lavatory. It was too risky to be seen slipping out of a compartment that was not her own so she slid the door shut again and turned towards Charles.
"Seems I will be lingering a little while longer," she said and leaned up against the door.
 
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Charles Walsh
@MsBloom
All other parameters the same

"Hm." Charles' mind was full of the possibilities of how they might take advantage of the fact that Jane needed to linger, but for now, he contented himself with keeping those thoughts internalized. "Well, I'm not going anywhere else tonight." With that rather matter-of-fact statement, he took off his suit jacket, shoulder holster and tie, and poured himself a glass of Scotch from a bottle he had had in his suitcase. He extended a non-verbal invitation for Jane to join him for a drink by placing the bottle on the bunk between where he sat and where she stood.

As if sensing the cogs that were spinning in her mind, he elaborated upon the story he relayed earlier: "In case you were wondering, she cuckolded me. With a soldier who fought in the War, got married, and then his wife passed or somesuch thing. Can't rightly remember what done her in." He shrugged, as if it were of no import to him. Which, truth be told, it wasn't. He sipped his drink as he sat there and wondered what else may happen before he closed his eyes tonight...or indeed if he would close them at all.
 
Name: Jane Marple
Location: Mr Walsh's sleeping compartment.
@captain_bond


It would probably not be more than a few moments before the corridor was once again empty and she could slip into her own compartment unseen but she accepted his offer of a drink. After a few sips of it and having listened to his story she gave him another smile. His story also reminded her of Elise and how she had left her without a word and slunk away in the grey mists of morning. It was perhaps just as cowardly as what his lover had done even if the reasons were not the same. It also got her thinking about the number of hearts she might have left bleeding in her wake as she had made her way through Europe in the last twenty years. Most of her encounters had of course been quite casual acts of seduction leading to no more than an hour or two of carnal pleasure, some had been seduction in the line of duty. Just lay back and think of England, she mused to herself and a smirk spread across her face. It was strange how she had never really had any issues with it. In fact even on those occasions she had often enjoyed it. There were others still, those that had almost become like a real relationship, like it had been with Elise.

Her smirk faded away and she took a mouthful of the Scotch.
"I must confess that it has been quite a while now since last I enjoyed the company of a man," she said and sighed.
"It is a lonely business we are in, make no mistake about that, Charles. Love only tends to get in the way. That woman might actually have done you a favour by breaking your heart, if that is indeed what she did."
Jane made a face that was like a sour comment on her own reasoning regarding love.
 
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Mr. Leonard Benjamin, Esq.
End of First Class Sleeping Coach, near Water Closest
@Vinaein @MsBloom​

Oh, God – it wasn't a steward who Leo had addressed, but Aleksander! How embarrassing to be caught breaking part of their coach and exiting from such a private spot. Leo's face went through a myriad of expressions: surprise, embarrassment, and then relief when the man seemed to think nothing off of their encounter.

Leo gave an embarrassed chuckled as he held out the handle at Aleksander's request. "I don't know the saying," he admitted, "but I know that my company would be greatly distressed to find I've caused them any extra expenses." He stepped to the side, hoping that the count had a better handle on how to fix the, erm…the handle of the door. Resting his hands on his waist he watched the man. "I could say it's a small world…"

He gave the man a smile that extended to his eyes. Aleksander really was an interesting fellow, and as Leo took a moment to study him, realizing just how strikingly aristocratic the man truly was. Perhaps it was that the count was still in his evening dress attire and Leo was in clothes meant for the privacy of the bedroom, but the contrast in their social histories and standings seemed as great as a chasm at that moment. And here was the count, kindly offering to assist him. It endeared the man to Leo more than he might be comfortable admitting.

"I am doing well now that you've shown up, thank you." He replied. "I've never been very good with repairing things, but I seem to have a knack for breaking them."

He heard a door opening in the hallway behind him and glanced back, but the door closed before he could see which one it was. Turning towards Aleksander once more, he focused on the task at hand. Or more accurately, he focused on the man doing the task.
 
Charles Walsh, sleeping compartment
@MsBloom

"I'm lucky I still have a heart to break." Charles wondered why Jane made the comment about how long it's been since she had a man. "It is a lonely business," he said, standing up. "Made even lonelier when the most beautiful girl on the train is right in your compartment, and she cannot wait to leave." He decided he could wonder about her comment later. "How long did you say it's been?" His voice was a growl: seductive, wanting. "Sounds like too long a streak to me." He was still a step away from her, but the atmosphere changed dramatically in those few moments, like someone had flipped a switch. But Charles was not going to ruin things by making Jane feel forced, so he stood there and let her come to him, if she wanted to.
 
Count Aleksander
End of First Class Sleeping Coach, near Water Closest
@Traveler @MsBloom @Shiva the Cat
​
The Count was dusting off his hands, the gloves off as he simply delivered Leo Benjamin the most charming and pleasant smile he could manage. The fellow had seemed curiously familiar with Estella, not that Aleksander was the jealous sort, nor that he bore any sort of claim over Estella at all, in fact. But Leo seemed a good sort, Aleksander simply answering with pleaantry and a complete lack of belligerence.

Provided he was 'on the level,' to use the vernacular and if Aleksander knew what Estella was so nervous about. "A small world?" The count tilted an eyebrow upward. "We should sooner say it is a small train." His voice was dryer than anything had a right to be in the washroom, in fact. "I can see there's a spot of trouble, here?"

Mr. Leo Benjamin was an interesting enough fellow and if he had anything untoward in mind, he seemed to be taking his sweet time initiating it. "What do you do, Mr. Benjamin?" He asked. "We met so briefly earlier that I did not catch it, in fact..." he stepped closer to see the handle. Amused, he began to work at it, reattaching it steadily. "It would hardly do for us to be trapped here as one. People might talk. I am afraid the Lady and I have arrangements for dinner or I would ask you to join so we may get better acquainted." The handle opened with a click.

"You are from England, Mr. Benjamin?"
 
Name: Jane Marple
Location: Mr Walsh's sleeping compartment.
@captain_bond

"How long?" Jane asked pensively and rolled the last of the Scotch around the bottom of the glass.
She actually remembered the exact date of the last time she had felt a man inside her but she was not about to make such an exact statement in response to his question. Especially not since every move he made since asking indicated that he was hoping to bee the one to remedy it.
"With a man, I would say it is at least four months."
He had been a German diplomat in his mid-fifties she had met at a party where she had played her part as a destitute heiress from the former French aristocracy who had been invited not for her money, her name or her standing in the Parisian society but for her natural charms and as part of the entertainment. If she was perfectly honest with herself the night she had spent in the company of Heinz Wagner at his hotel room had been quite enjoyable. He was a tall slender man with a gentle appearance that he had more than proven should not be taken as evidence of his love-making. He had been powerful, even rough, but patient and far from selfish, just the way Jane liked her men. And he had stamina beyond what one might expect from his age.

Three times they had fucked, love had after all had nothing to do with it, over several hours, from the front, from the back, standing up, her on top, on the bed, in an armchair, up against the wall. He had indeed had plenty of ideas. The one that had perhaps surprised her the most was when he had lifted her up and carried her around the room while impaling her. Neither of them had had to move beyond his strides to create a most pleasurable friction. Even thinking about it now made her smile ever so slightly, and possibly with a not so subtle hint of seduction.

It had also been a most successful mission as she had slipped away in the dead of night with the documents Heinz Wagner had received earlier in the evening from a British embassy-clerk of dubious morals and political convictions, having replaced them with false documents she had.

"Perhaps closer to five," she added.
"What about yourself?" she asked, downing the last of the Scotch and standing up.
"When did you last enjoy the embrace of a woman?"
She closed the distance between them and turned her face up towards his as her breasts almost touched his torso. The heat between them was palpable and she placed her hands on his chest in a gesture that was as much an acceptance of her own urge as much as it was an invitation for him to make the next move.
"You do realise that if we do this and I am seen leaving your compartment it will confirm what I have already denied once tonight," she said and let her hands slide downwards along the sides of his muscular torso.
"I can live with that if you can."

To be continued in Charles Walsh's Sleeping Compartment
 
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Mr. Leonard Benjamin, Esq.
End of First-Class Sleeping Coach, near Water Closest
@Vinaein

​
Leo was doubly impressed with Aleksander's wit and his apparent ability to manipulate the world around him. Handy-man skills were not ones usually associated with the aristocracy, but as Leo was learning, people tended to surprise you. He smiled warmly at the man's correcting his small-world comment to a small-train one, and as they fitted their bodies around each other to allow the nobleman access to the door, Leo lingered closer than he necessarily needed to be.

He leaned one hand against the wall as he bent closer to watch the man's ministrations with the miscreant door handle. "Oh, I'm an attorney. Contract law," he answered. "I…I work for Brooks & Banksy out of London?" The end of his sentence lilted upwards into a question of whether the man had heard of the company or not. They were well-known in the circles they ran in, but outside the world of manufacturing and litigation the common man had no reason to know anything more than that the company had a cute name and a small office front with their names embossed over the doorway.

It was quite an old company. Nearing a hundred years, if Leo remembered correctly, and they claimed roots as far back as the late 1700's, though the official establishment was in 1840. If they survived the rebuilding of Europe they might very well rise to a place in financial prominence, and these deals in Istanbul would go far to ensuring that was the case.

"Ah!" At the successful click of the handle reestablished on the door Leo shot Aleksander a look of pure delight. "That is quite marvelous. You are very good with your hands, dear sir." His mind was swirling around the comment about being trapped in the closet together and people talking, and that little innuendo made Leo wonder if he might be inclined, or at least open, to the gay life. Many affluential were.

He stepped back from the compartment to give the man more space. "I would not want to intrude upon your dinner with the lady, though I would be happy to accommodate you another night. Or perhaps both, if she were so inclined," he offered. "After all, the more the merrier. But as you can see, I am only properly dressed for bed…" his eyes lingered a moment longer than proper on Aleksander's face.

Then Aleks asked about his origins, and Leo nodded. "Yes, born and bred in England, though I've spent some years abroad. And you sir? Are you…I'm sorry. I can't quite place your accent," he said, once again getting drawn into those dark, nearly black eyes. He almost felt like he was in the presence of a predator. And strangely, he was remiss to be absent from the threat.
 
Count Aleksander
End of First-Class Sleeping Coach, near Water Closest
@Traveler @Shiva the Cat
​
The Count felt a brief satisfaction while the handle clicked into place, his tongue tapping to his teeth as the warm grin spread over his face. In the war and after, Aleksander had learned a number of practical skills. One could never tell when they had to pick a lock or repair a vehicle. Such skills had saved his life on more than one occasion, after all.

Mr. Benjamin did not seem to have altogether much practical experience, by contrast. Or he pretended not to. Was Aleksander being a touch paranoid. "Ah, an attorney!" Aleksander chuckled. "I see, always a need for good lawyers," he said. "The name Brooks and Banksy does, I confess, ring something of a bell, though I cannot claim an intimate familiarity." He rubbed his chin. "But a profession, and an honorable one, despite the jests I hear repeated in your native London. How did Shakespeare say? The first thing to do was kill all the lawyers?" He gave a humorless chuckle. "I can assure you, my hands are quite used to practical means, good sir."

The mention of Estella did make him cock his head. Yes, they had dinner, he thought. "I will not be so presumptuous as to speak for the Lady herself, but if she is so inclined, I would hardly be discinlined to deny us such lovely company. I am from Romania and Hungary," he added with the same smile. "And we do believe in hospitality there. As I see you are interested in heading to bed...do not let me keep you, good sir," he opened the door, letting it creak as he swept an arm out graciously. "I trust we shall meet again, my friend."

Now all that remained was to meet Madam Devereaux for their evening meal....and hope that nothing disturbed the time.
 
Jeudeth Bakari NPC chambermaid.
@Shiva the Cat

Jeudeth had just finished cleaning the sleeping carriage and made her way back to the caboose for a rest, a cigarette and maybe Liz had managed to sneak a bottle from the dining carriage after her shift. Unfortunately though for Jeudeth she had just barely taken off her shoes and put her feet up when the conductor opened the door, looked straight at her as is asking why she was even sitting down.
"There was an incident in the first class sleeping car," he said.
"A young woman who fainted. I want you to check up on her, make sure she is alright and not in any sort of distress."
Jeudeth sighed but nodded with a hint of a polite smile on her lips. She put her shoes back on and made her way back through the train to the first class sleeping car just in time to see a woman in trousers and with slightly dishevelled hair leave one of the compartments.

The woman politely asked Jeudeth in French if she had seen the conductor recently and Jeudeth nodded. Her French being little more than basic she simply pointed towards the caboose and smiled as politely as she possibly could. The woman thanked her in French and walked off.

Moments later Jeudeth knocked quietly on the door to the compartment the conductor had said the woman was in.
"Pardon, Mademoiselle?" she asked through the door.
"Est-ce que tu vas bien?" she added with an accent that more than betrayed that French was far from her native language.
German was the European language she spoke the most naturally but even her English was much better than her french.
 

A pleasant thrill ran down Estella's back as she felt Aleks' lips brush the back of her hand. She'd seen fellas do that a thousand times in the movies, but even among all the paramours she'd collected over the years, none of them had actually performed the gesture. Unable to conceal the smile on her face, she gave him a little wave as he departed, but was quick to shut the compartment door once he'd gone.

Finally alone, the singer stared contemptuously at the briefcase on the floor. This is all because of you. If it weren't for that stupid thing, she could have been enjoying the further company of the Count. Maybe even the company of the mysterious Mr. Benjamin as well. But no, like an albatross around her neck, it would ward away any succor she might have gained from her fellow passengers.

Well, there was one thing she could try in the meantime. Something Eli had taught her all those years ago when they were kids. Reaching into her valise, she fished out her brother's old Swiss Army knife...

A short time later, feeling somewhat more relieved, Estella decided a change of costume would be in order before meeting the Count for dinner. Bending like an expert contortionist in the cramped compartment, she slipped out of the black gown and carefully removed the ruby red one from her garment bag. The dress was one of her favorites, and the singer was so caught up in admiring it that she didn't hear the knock on the compartment door until it was too late.

"Pardon, Mademoiselle?" a small voice asked. "Est-ce que tu vas bien?"

Estella jumped at the intrusion of the chambermaid, then blushed as red as her dress when she realized she was still wearing nothing but her lace bra and pants. "Sorry, I uh...what?" she stammered, quickly shielding her pale body with the evening gown. Stilted as the chambermaid's French might have been, it still came out much more quickly than what the singer's limited knowledge could discern. "I mean..." Shit, what had Rosaline told her to say when someone who really spoke French? "Je um...mange...le Francais?"

She began to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I really don't need anything, thank you," she admitted in English, eyes full of embarrassment and defeat. At least Aleks hadn't been there to witness the exchange.
 
Jeudeth Bakari NPC chambermaid.
@Shiva the Cat

Seeing the woman in just her undergarments, as elegant as they were, caused Jeudeth to flush and modestly avert her eyes while muttering pardonnez moi, though not quickly enough. She did get a good eyeful of the woman's form and her pale skin.

As she stood there looking at the floor biting her bottom lip she could only just barely stifle a snicker as the woman responded in French.
"I think the French not taste well," she said and then turning towards the door asked the question again, this time in English.
"Are you fine? Comfortable?"

Then as the woman declared that she did not need anything and Jeudeth had seen for herself that she did not seem distressed, embarrassed at having been walked in on in just her undergarments, yes, but not in distress, she excused herself, turned back to face the woman trying not to steal one last look of her form, curtseyed and left. Perhaps now she might have a chance to put her feet up.
 
Mr. Leonard Benjamin, Esq.
End of First Class Sleeping Coach, near Water Closest
@Vinaein @MsBloom @Shiva the Cat @captain_bond

​
The Count's hands seemed very well versed in manipulating the world, and his jest at Leo's profession brought a smile to the Brit's face. As he slid past the slim man into the hallway he nodded in response. "I think we will. It is a small train, after all. And…if you feel like fixing more things, I do have a broken latch on my door," he offered. "Enjoy your dinner date."

He shot one last smile at the count before walking down the hallway towards his room. He saw a cleaning lady with brilliantly dark skin making her way towards Estella's room and look in on the woman. In that brief moment he was stricken with how varied their world was. People who had rarely blended were now living in exotic countries where the languages they spoke, and the very color of their skin was different. This was indeed a brave new world. Aldous Huxley had wrong in his book though. Leo saw the world as one where people could be more caring because of their advancements, not less.

And though this carriage in the train was made up of people who had economic advantage, their backgrounds and reasons for being there were diverse.

Leo eased past the slightly open door, caught a brief glimpse of a lace-garbed beauty, and averted his eyes. 'Damn…'

The next door was Charles Walsh's. Leo stepped past just as the door slid open and Jane stepped out. Another unintended glimpse revealed Charles still in bed – Oh God! – and Jane looking quite smug. "Evening," Leo muttered, trying not to stare. He felt a warm flush rush up his neck as the scent of sweat, perfume, and sex, wafted past him. Then he was in front of his own room and slid the door open. Safety – finally. Was everyone on the train having private meetings? Did Count Aleksander know that his dinner date would be wearing that lacy little nothing beneath her dress? Red... he had caught a brief flash of a red dress beyond the chambermaid's shoulder and imagined that color on Estella.

Leo was exhausted but he knew that it would be difficult to get to sleep with the visual feast he had just been given, and as he pulled off his shirt and set it aside. Yes…getting to sleep would be hard.
 
Estella was not comfortable. She was half-naked and embarrassed that a lowly servant had seen through her affectations, and she was even more nervous that the snoop might have noticed the sleeping berth had been lowered entirely without help from the porter (something that had always been frowned upon in the singer's experience). Not only that, but the maid's oddly Teutonic accent was putting her on edge. Not a natural-born German of course, from the color of her skin, but still an unpleasant reminder that the train was creeping ever closer to that dangerous country.

And you thought the Brits wanted you dead...

Thankfully the chambermaid was quick to depart as soon as she realized she wasn't needed, though she did make the grave mistake of not shutting the door behind her. Cursing under her breath, Estella reached for the handle just as she saw the tall form of Mr. Benjamin passing by the opening, causing her to blush anew. She quickly slammed the door before he could see (or so she hoped) but she couldn't help but think for a moment that those deep-set eyes of his had caught her in all her glory. The idea did send a thrill through her body for a moment--the man was rakishly handsome, after all--but then again the Count would be waiting for her, and he was just as handsome, and probably had more money to boot, not to mention he probably didn't give a fig about English politics.

She finished dressing as quickly as she could, adorning herself this time with pearls and a gold charm bracelet before inserting a cigarette into a long, faux-ebony holder. After a bit of fiddling with the door latch, Estella defeatedly determined there was absolutely no way of locking it from the outside without the porter's help, and decided she would have to trust that gentleman would not allow anyone into her compartment in the meantime. Her crestfallen expression did perk up a bit though as she spotted the Count at the end of the car.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," she purred as she approached, holding out her cigarette. "You don't happen to have a light, do you? I seem to have misplaced my own."

With one surreptitious glance back at her compartment door, Estella rested a hand on Aleks' arm. "Shall we see if there's anything left in the dining car? I could use a drink, at the very least."
 
Name: Jane Marple
Location: Ms Deveraux sleeping compartment.
@Shiva the Cat

After having found the conductor and informed her of her need to send a telegram but also of her need to rest for a few hours she returned to the sleeping carriage just in time to see Estella in a lovely red dress that clung to her body like second skin exiting towards the dining cars, without the briefcase. This was an opportunity to solve the mystery of that briefcase that she couldn't allow herself to miss. She walked up to her own compartment door and waited to make sure no one else was around. certain that the corridor was empty she decided to at least try sneaking into the woman's compartment.

The locks on these sliding doors were rarely any problems for a hairpin bent just right but it seemed Jane wouldn't have to bother since the door was not locked. Looking once over each shoulder to make sure no one had entered the corridor since her last check she slid the door open and quickly made her way inside, sliding it shut behind her. Now where was the briefcase. The most obvious place of course was under the bunk but no, it wasn't there. At first glance there didn't seem to be many other places to hide something that big but then she noticed a tear in the mattress and it seemed curious that such a thing would have gone unnoticed and left unattended to by the staff on a train such as the Orient Express.

Upon further inspection Jane found that it was a deliberate tear in the fabric, and it was certainly large enough. Jane smiled as this was how her great-aunt had hidden her money from the government in her latter days.
"Of course," she muttered to herself and carefully pulled the brief case out from the mattress.
Taking out the hairpin again she first examined the lock and good thing she did. It seemed the secrets inside were worth destroying rather than letting them fall into enemy hands, or be revealed by a nosy British undercover operative, which might just be the very same thing.

So. A key was needed. Jane stood up and once again looked around the room. Where would she have hidden a key. Her eyes fell on the woman's suitcase but discarded the idea, next her eyes fell on the jewellery box. Now that did seem a more plausible place to hide a key since they often had hidden compartments for the more valuable pieces. Jane fiddled with the box for a while, noticing that while the jewellery certainly did look impressive many of them were fairly cheap copies. At first it didn't seem there was any secret compartment in the box until Jane closed it and turned it over. The bottom felt springy and having run her left index finger along the edge she found the pressure plate that held the false bottom in place.

There was no key inside though but a Star of David necklace that, from the weight, seemed to be real gold and possibly a rather precious heirloom, even if it did look relatively new, and certainly not something one would want to be caught with while travelling through Germany these days. She put it back and pushed the false bottom back into place. She must have the key on her, Jane figured and sighed. Still, she didn't want to just leave the briefcase where it was, having no clue as to its contents. She decided to bring the briefcase to her own compartment and wait for an opportunity to get close enough to the woman to continue searching for the key. And if she couldn't get the key she would simply have to see if perhaps Walsh knew how to bypass the explosive device, or wait until Istanbul and let the boys at the embassy figure it out.

She slid the door open, to find the corridor still empty and having closed the door behind her she hurried to her own compartment a few doors down, slipped inside and took a deep breath. She had been doing this for almost two decades now but she still felt the rush in situations like this. It was almost like a drug and she needed a few minutes to calm herself down before placing the briefcase inside her suitcase which she then stored on the top bunk, in plain sight, but it would look more suspicious if she tried to hide it. She then changed and decided to have a late dinner after all.
 
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Count Aleksander
First Class Sleeper Car
@MsBloom @Traveler @Shiva the Cat
​
Aleksander's suit was immaculate, even now. The noble and spy wore a charming smile while he awaited the time, letting the ticking of the clock make its final descent. All while he thought of Leo and Estella again...though there had been others, and he had not quite been able to talk to Leo about it...the others at the bar. What did he have to do with that? Who were those people? Why did Estella fear them?

Why did Estella have any reason to fear? Questions and more questions, without hint of answer. The Count turned his eyes over to the departure of Leo Benjamin, his eyes seeing the departure of a chambermaid as he waited, studying those who passed and now saw him without seeing him. Saw him without perceiving him. As a spy, that was the greatest strength and asset he possessed

And then...there she was. Estella Devereaux, robed in silk, adorned with gold and pearl, radiant as one of the ethereal maidens in his homelands' folklore. Cigarette in hand, she strode over, the Count offering a charming smile as he retrieved his lighter. "Allow me," he said as he flicked it on, bringing the fire to bear to light her cigarette. "Delight to see you, Madame. Tu as bien dormi, mon etoille?"

Hand on his arm, he led her towards the dining car. "I am certain we will find something there..."
 
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